Graduate Programs
Information Sessions

Upcoming Session - held on Saturday, November 5, 2011 for September 2012 applicants.

Past Session Powerpoint Presentation

Apply

How to Apply & Application Procedures

Announcements - Updated March 28, 2012

Please read the information below before submitting any part of your application.

Announcements

Application Update

Applications are now closed for September 2012 for the Ph.D. in Education Studies and M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology programs.

Applications are currently being assessed for M.Ed. Educational Studies programs (applications received by the February deadline) and decisions will be sent to the email address you indicated on your application throughout April as they become available.

Applications submitted for the extended June deadline will be considered after all applications received for the February deadline are assessed.

Second deadline extension

The application deadline for M.Ed. Educational Studies program only, has been extended until the end of June; please see the chart below for the two applicable dates (one for application and documents; second for references). Applications received in time for the February deadline will be assessed before considering applications submitted after this time.

Application Deadlines Extended

The deadlines to apply for September 2012 for all Ph.D. and M.Ed. Educational Studies programs (does NOT include applications to the M.Ed. Counselling Psychology program) have been extended to February 1, 2012 (On-line application and supporting documents; references deadline moved to Feb. 27, 2012).

Graduate Programs Subject to Change for September 2012

Please note that graduate programs are currently under review and subject to change for September 2012. Please watch the program pages of our web site for exciting updates in Winter 2012!

Application to go live on October 6, 2011

The On-line Application is scheduled to become available on Thursday, October 6, 2011, for September 2012 applications. Once this has occurred we will include a link to the On-line Application below. Please note that if you created an application previously in OUAC that you will not be able to access this; you will need to create a new application.

Program Checklists updated - Thursday, October 6, 2011

Please note that all Applications Checklists were updated on Wednesday, October 5th and will upload to this web site (below) on Thursday, October 6, 2011. Please check these newer versions for updates if you have accessed the checklists previously. The main changes are on the first page, relating to transcript information.

Information Session for September 2012 applications

We will host an information session for those interested in applying for September 2012 on Saturday, November 5th at 10:00 am in Room 1162 of the Faculty of Education. Please RSVP your attendance to graded@uwo.ca The On-line Application will be available below in early October. We do not have Januray admission.

Confirming receipt of application documents

Due to the volume of applications and supporting documents we receive we are unable to respond to every applicant individually with regard to receiving documents, but as we go through each application after the applicable deadline has passed, we will email those individuals who are missing documents. 

Once the application deadline passes and we begin to collate application materials, this process takes some time so please don't be alarmed if you don't hear anything right away.  No news is good news; we will not contact you if you are not missing anything.  There is also an order in which we look at applications, starting the with Ph.D. and M.Ed. Counselling Psychology, followed by M.Ed. Educational Studies applications.  This will affect how quickly we compile your application file and notify you of any missing documents.  This process takes place starting in December and continues through until March or April depending on how many applications we receive. 

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UWO ID number and submitting documents electronically

Your UWO ID number is provided to you in an email from the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies after you submit your on-line application. We request this number on the electronic submission form on the "how to apply" page of our web site. Please do not wait for this number if it means not being able to submit your documents by the deadline. Please do ensure though that your name appears in the request form as it does on your on-line application. If you wish to include further identifying information within the text of the email, your date of birth is a good identifier.

For those having difficulty in submitting documents via the electronic form, you may also email them directly to graded@uwo.ca. Please include your name and the specific program you are applying to in the text of your email, and in the subject line of the email please indicate Your Last Name, Your First Name - Application Documents 2012.

Electronic References

Once you submit your on-line application and it is received by UWO, you will receive an email from the School of Graduate Studies with a login and password to the reference system.  This allows you to monitor the progress as your referees are sent the link with the electronic reference form and they complete and submit it.  You can also resend this link if necessary, or make changes to the names or contact information of your referees. 

If you are having difficulties with the reference system, please contact the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at 519-661-2102 or Gradinfo@uwo.ca.

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Timelines Relating to Application Process to Keep in Mind

Please take the following into consideration when planning how and when you will apply and submit your supporting documents:

  • It takes approximately one week for OUAC to process your application when you submit immediate payment of the application fee (i.e. credit card payments); if you are mailing your payment it will take longer.  OUAC will not forward your application to us until they receive the application fee.
  • It is only once UWO has your application that the electronic reference process begins. Application deadlines for 2012 will account for this; the first deadline is for the On-line Application and all supporting documents with the exception of references; the second deadline is for receipt of electronic references.
  • The reference process involves UWO emailing your referees an electronic form to fill out and email back to us. You will be able to track this process on-line. 
  • Although we understand that you do not have control over the reference process, submitting your on-line application well before the deadline will help to ensure we receive your references in a timely manner. 
  • While we do have some flexibility with the application deadlines - it takes us a few weeks to collate application materials for each group of applicants, some programs have tighter timelines than others. For example, the turn-around time for processing applications for the M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology program are very tight.  We must allow enough time for the Admissions Committee to select who will be invited for personal interviews and extend those invitations so that those booking travel have sufficient time to do so. 

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Approximate Timelines & Method for Communication of Admission Decisions


Ph.D. - February
M.Ed. Counselling Psychology - March
M.Ed. Educational Studies - April

We do not communicate admission decisions over the phone; we notify applicants electronically via email. Those whose applications are successful will receive a follow-up email from the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies notifiying them that they have an important message in the Student Centre. This is where you go to accept your offer. If you require a hard copy of your Offer of Admission, please print it at the time you accept your offer; it will disappear from the system after that.

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Re-applicants

Applicants for September 2011 reapplying for September 2012 will be required to redo the on-line application and pay the application fee ($100 for 2010).  Any documents submitted to the Graduate Programs & Research Office will be kept on file for one year.  Therefore, re-applicants from 2011 need only submit new information such as official transcripts for courses/programs completed since the last application, and a resume. Please view your program checklist/declaration form to ensure nothing has changed since your last application.  Re-applicants may use references from the 2011 application or choose new referees but if you use your previous references, please note that your referees will still receive the automated notification to complete the electronic form. 

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How to Apply: The On-line Application

Please note that there are 2 parts to submitting an application to a graduate program in the Faculty of Education:

  • the On-line Application, accessible below once it becomes available, and
  • your supporting documents, which are summarized in degree-specific checklists.  Click here to email your documents in Word, RTF or PDF form.

PLEASE NOTE:  Although applicants may still be able to access the OUAC On-line Application after our deadlines, please contact our office before submitting your application to ensure there are spaces still available. Please see the "Announcements" section for more information and updates throughout the application process. 

Applicants who are applying to start a new M.Ed. or Ph.D. program, or who are applying to transfer from another graduate program must use the OUAC On-line Application; there is no paper application. 

 
  • New MEd and PhD applicants must apply using the OUAC (Ontario Universities' Application Centre) On-line Application (click on the link above).
  • Please note that although the On-line Application will permit you to enter choices for more than one program in the Faculty of Education, the Admissions Committee for Graduate Education programs will only consider your application for one program. This includes the all fields, focus areas, and on-line versus onsite programs within the M.Ed. Educational Studies degree and Ph.D. research areas of specialization. If you indicate more than one area of interest on your on-line application we will contact you via email and request that you specify the one area you wish to be considered for.
  • Once you have submitted your On-line Application, you must submit your payment ($100 Canadian) to OUAC or they will not forward your application to us. The application fee is non-refundable.
  • You will be able to print a copy of your On-line application if you wish to keep for your records, but please DO NOT submit a paper copy to the Office of Graduate Programs & Research. We use the electronic copy received from OUAC.
  • Please see "application procedures" below for further instructions regarding supporting applications.
  • Former Graduate Education students who voluntarily withdrew and are reapplying for admission within 2 years of withdrawing: please contact the Graduate Programs & Research Office for a re-application form.  This must be submitted to Linda Kulak by the following deadline dates: July 1 (to return in Fall term), November 1 (to return in Winter term) or March 1 (to return in Summer term).

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Application Deadlines

Complete applications (i.e. On-line Application, all supporting documents and references) received by the applicable deadlines will be assessed first, in groups by program, after the deadline dates have passed. Late applications/applications with late supporting documents will be subsequently considered if space is available. Please note that because OUAC is a processing centre for many universities with many programs, you will still be able to submit an application even after our deadlines pass. You must always check a program's web site for instructions and deadlines specific to that program! The application fee is non-refundable in any circumstance and you cannot use a late application to apply for a subsequent year; please contact us before submitting a late application to ensure there are spaces available.

  On-line Application & Supporting Documents Electronic References
PhD program - all applicants December 1, 2011
Extended to Feb. 1, 2012		 January 2, 2012
Extended to Feb. 27, 2012
M.Ed. Counselling Psychology January 9, 2012 February 6, 2012
M.Ed. Educational Studies (all programs)

January 9, 2012
Extended to Feb. 1, 2012

Extended to June 30, 2012

February 6, 2012
Extended to Feb. 27, 2012

Extended to July 27, 2012

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Application Procedures

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1. Supporting documents - Program CHECKLISTS (Adobe PDF pages):

The following checklists summarize required supporting documents based on the degree you are applying for. These documents are to be submitted along with your On-line Application by the application deadline. Please read your checklist carefully to ensure you submit all documents that are required for your application. Please note that all application documents (hard copy or electronic) become property of UWO and cannot be returned or copied for use elsewhere.

Please note that information that you see on the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies' web site (http://grad.uwo.ca) with regard to required documents is not program-specific. Your application must be accompanied by the program-specific required documents as outlined above. In rare instances, we may need to request specific documentation that is not on the checklist but applicants will be contacted individually via email if this is necessary.

Please note that you must submit separate, original documents to Office of Graduate Programs & Research, independent of other courses/programs you are applying for at UWO and independent of courses/programs you have previously applied for or completed at UWO. This includes the Bachelor of Education program or Continuing Teacher Education courses at the Faculty of Education. 
 

2. Where do I send my documents?

With the exception of transcripts and certified translations into English where applicable, please upload your documents in Word, RTF or PDF form, and send via email. Click here for more information about this process. In the interest of being environmentally friendly, please do not send paper copies of documents that you send to us electronically.

Please note, if you cannot upload documents (e.g. transcripts), send these documents to:

Graduate Programs & Research Office
Faculty of Education
The University of Western Ontario
1137 Western Road
London, Ontario,
Canada N6G 1G7

Documents sent elsewhere within the Faculty of Education or UWO will cause delays in processing your application.


3. Where can I find application information for International students?

International applicants (and domestic students who have studied outside of Canada) must read the International Students page of the Graduate Programs & Research web site.  This includes information on English proficiency test scores.
 

4. How do I apply for advanced standing (transfer credit)?

Students who wish to apply for advanced standing for accredited courses taken at the graduate level prior to their initial registration in a Graduate Education program at UWO must do so at the time of admission. Advanced standing cannot be granted on courses taken to complete degrees or diplomas. Advanced credit will be recommended for courses that are clearly relevant to the current program of the student. Normally advanced standing will be given for no more than two half courses (one full course). At the time of application, please include a written request for Advanced Standing and include detailed course descriptions.

5. How do I apply for funding/is funding available?

PhD funding* - is automatic; please see the PhD program page for more information. PhD funding includes the annual cost of tuition plus a Teaching or Research Assistantship. Normally, first year PhD students are given a Research Assistantship. This is decided in the summer after your admission based primarily on your research interests and faculty requests.

M.Ed. funding*  - There are a limited number of Western Graduate Research Scholarships (WGRS) for students applying for a full time, onsite program.  Those who plan to do research (i.e. a Thesis) may be eligible for up to six terms of funding and those following the course-based route of study may be eligible for up to three terms of funding. WGRS covers the cost of full time tuition, minus ancillary fees. This process is competitive, but there is no application; those who qualify will automatically be considered. All M.Ed. applications must be assessed before determining WGRS recipients so M.Ed. funding decisions are typically made in May.  Applicants will therefore receive an offer of admission before of an offer of funding.

*Please note that a condition of accepting funding is applying for major scholarships for which you are eligible: the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Scholarships. The applications for these are due in October so students should be thinking about research topics over the summer. In addition, transcripts (one per post-secondary institution attended, per competition) and academic reference letters must be submitted. References must be submitted on specific forms; instructions will be sent to students via email in September. 

For more information: OGS (OSAP web site) - https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/OSAPStarttoFinish/GraduateStudents/index.htm and SSHRC -http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx

Master's and Doctoral students who win OGS, Tri-Council (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR) or other major awards valued at $15,000.00 or more are responsible for paying their own tuition and ancillary fees.


6. How much will my program cost?

Tuition amounts are set each year by Senate and then published on the Office of the Registrar's web site: http://www.registrar.uwo.ca/FinancialServices/Fees.cfm  Fees are paid once each term (Fall, Winter, Summer) according to your full or part time status (not by course). Fees will change slightly from year to year, but current tuition amounts for Graduate Education programs are as follows:

M.Ed. Programs Fall 2010
Full Amount		 Fall 2010
Tuition only		 Fall 2010
Ancillary Fees		 Winter 2011
Full Amount		 Winter 2011
Tuition Only		 Winter 2011
Ancillary Fees
Canadian
Full Time		 $3426.64 $2677.00 $749.64 TBA TBA TBA
Canadian Part Time $1404.67 $1338.50 $66.17      
International Full Time $7419.64 $6430.00 $989.64      
International Part Time $3521.17 $3215.00 $306.17      
UHIP (University Health Insurance Plan - International Students Only) $240.00          

Please note: Fall term ancillary fees are proportionately higher for domestic full time students because part of this fee is the SOGS (Society of Graduate Students) annual Health & Dental Plan fee.  These fees have been distributed evenly between the terms in the past, but are now charged in full for the entire year in the fall term.  Students who are admitted and have their own coverage will be provided information on how to "opt out" of the SOGS Health Plan, and those paying their own fees (i.e. not receiving WGRS which covers this amount) will be reimbursed for these fees ($562.85 for 2010-2011). 

M.Ed. Programs Summer 2010
Full Amount		 Summer 2010
Tuition only		 Summer 2010
Ancillary Fees
Canadian Full Time $2932.28 $2677.00 $255.28
Canadian Part Time $1395.75 $1338.50 $57.25
International Full Time $6937.28 $6430.00 $507.28
International Part Time $3524.25 $3215.00 $309.25
UHIP (University Health Insurance Plan - International Students Only) $252.00    

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What happens after I apply

  1. Tracking Receipt of Documents

    2. Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive,  we cannot follow up with each applicant individually as to whether or not we have received your documents. Please use your program-specific checklist (above) to ensure you submit all required documents.

    Please check your email periodically after your application deadline has passed as we will notify you via email if we notice you are missing any documents. M.Ed. Educational Studies applicants may not receive this email notification immediately after the deadline as it takes several weeks to compile all application files.  

  2. References

    Once you submit your on-line application and it is processed by the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC), it is received by the University of Western Ontario.  At that time, two things happen:

    • your referees will receive via email, an electronic reference form that they complete and submit to the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies via email.  The Graduate Programs & Research Office then download the forms for your application file.  The form consists of some questions, criteria on which you are to be ranked, and space to add additional comments.  If you are a re-applicant using the same referees as last year and wish to use the same forms, or your referee has submitted a hard copy reference letter, there is a spot for them to indicate this.  If they fail to do this, they will continue to get reminder notices to complete the form.  It is preferred that your referees use this electronic form so that all candidates are measured on the same bases. 
       
    • you will receive via email a login and password that allows you to access the electronic referee form: http://grad.uwo.ca/gears/studentLogin.cfm.  Please note that you cannot access this form without your unique login and password; be sure to keep the email with this information in a safe place that you can refer back to.  You can use this in case you need to resend your referees the link, or if you need to change referees.

    As your referees receive and complete their forms, you will receive email notification at each step so you can track this process.  

  3. Admission Decisions

    4. All applicants who submit their On-line Application, application fee and supporting documents are notified of the results regardless of the outcome. We do not communicate admission decisions via telephone.

    Although we make every endeavour to process applications as quickly as possible, the following are approximate timelines for when applicants can expect to receive admission decisions:

    • PhD applicants - February
    • MEd Counselling Psychology applicants - March
    • MEd Educational Studies applicants - March through April

  4. Accepting or Declining your Offer of Admission

    • Applicants must accept or decline their offer on-line. The web link and instructions on how to do this will be indicated on your formal Offer of Admission from the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. This step is important even if you are declining the offer as it allows us to extend offers of admission to applicants on waiting lists. You will be provided with a deadline date to accept or decline your offer of admission in an informational letter included with your formal offer letter. Important note: failure to reply by this deadline date will imply that you are declining your offer of admission; your spot will be offered to another applicant.
    • Once you click to accept or decline your offer of admission, a message will appear on your screen to indicate you have successfully accepted (or declined) and this is the only confirmation you will receive. If you are unsure you successfully accepted your offer of admission, you can go through the process again; once you have accepted your offer it no longer appears. Therefore, if your offer still appears you did not successfully accept or decline.
    • Former Graduate Education students who voluntarily withdrew and are applying for readmission must also accept their offer of readmission on-line.

  5. Waiting List

    6. Those who are on waiting lists will be notified if a space becomes available. Unfortunately we are not able to predict when and if this will happen; it depends on the responses we receive to the offers of admission we have extended. We do try to extend additional offers of admission as soon as possible after we know we have an opening. Occasionally, however, we have applicants change their mind in mid to late August. Even if you have not heard from us, please contact us at that time if you are on our waiting list and still interested in a spot.

  6. UWO Email Account

    7. You are provided with your UWO Student I.D. number and email address upon receipt of your application. Your UWO email account must be activated in order to accept your offer of admission on-line and is used for all university communications shortly thereafter.

    Email is the main form of communication for the University of Western Ontario as well as the Graduate Programs & Research Office. As mandated by the university, we will use your UWO email account to communicate with you and not personal email accounts. Please be sure to check this account regularly and clean it out so it does not fill up! We cannot be held responsible for information that you miss due to not checking your account, or there being a problem with your account that prevents delivery of a message. If you are having any problems with your UWO email account, please contact ITS for assistance: 519-661-3800.

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Next Steps - The Transition From Applicant to Student

  1. Advisors/Supervisors

    2. You are not responsible for finding your own Academic Advisor or Research Supervisor, but the Admissions Committee will need to see that there is potential for someone to supervise your research.

    Students are initially assigned an Academic Advisor who guides them through their course work and study route options. We will assign an Advisor to you based on the information in your letter of intent. Please be as detailed as possible in describing your research interests and goals within your letter of intent to assist us in matching you with someone suitable.

    Your Advisor's name and contact details will be communicated to you once the admission process is over and course selection/Program Planning is about to begin (typically some time in May).

    We do recommend that you review the information on our faculty research page to ensure there is at least one faculty member in your area of interest. We also encourage you to make contact with a few faculty members to discuss your research interests. If you have made contact with a faculty member and he/she has expressed willingness to work with you, please indicate this on your On-line Application.

    If you are accepted into your program, you should discuss your research with faculty members who you would like to have supervise your research before you complete your course work. This can be your Academic Advisor or another faculty member of the Faculty of Education; do not be alarmed if your Academic Advisor suggests another faculty member to work with and don't worry about offending your Academic Advisor by choosing to work with someone else for your research.

  2. Course Selection/Program Planning

    "Program Planning" or course and program selection occurs typically throughout May and June. Please review the information on your applicable program page on our web site. You will also find helpful the Program Planning and Timetables & Calendars pages. The latter is the home of the "1-Year Plan of Course Offerings" and the current term's timetable.  Program Planning occurs once per year and at that time, new and continuing students enter course and other program requirement selections (e.g. thesis) for the following three terms (fall, winter and summer terms).

    Program Planning is completed on-line in the Faculty of Education's "Graduate Portal." You will be provided a login and password to access this and these are different from your UWO email login credentials. We host an information session (typically in late May or early June) to introduce you to the Grad Portal and walk you through the steps of logging in and selecting courses.

    You must consult with your Academic Advisor who approves all course and program choices. All students are provided information via email summarizing their program rules and instructions to access and navigate within the Grad Portal.

  3. Fees and Deposits

    4. At this time, students are not required to pay a tuition deposit before commencing their program. Students will be notified via email in early to mid August once fall fees are viewable in the Student Centre and a due date will be provided (typically the first week of each term). For students who are receiving funding, they will be required to deduct this amount from the balance owing as it is not applied to students' accounts until the first day of the term (September 1 for the Fall Term).  Please note that each student is responsible for checking his/her Fees Account on-line and paying the balance by the due date.  In addition, due to the continuous enrolment requirement applicable to all graduate students (full and part time, regardless of program), each student is responsible for applicable fees each and every consecutive term (i.e. fall, winter and summer) until degree requirements are completed. 

  4. Orientation

    5. There will be information communicated to new students throughout the summer. Two major orientation events are planned to assist you in settling into your Graduate Student career:

    • The Office of Graduate Programs & Research hosts Orientation sessions (one for M.Ed and one for Ph.D.) the first in September after Labour Day, and
    • The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies hosts a university-wide graduate student orientation, typically the first Saturday in September after Labour Day. 

    If possible, we recommend that you attend both of these events - especially if you are new to London and/or the University of Western Ontario. For those unable to attend, including M.Ed. on-line students, the Graduate Programs and Research Office will send information from the Faculty of Education's sessions via email.

    M.Ed. Counselling Psychology students will also receive program-specific information via email over the summer, and Counselling faculty host an orientation for these students the first day of classes.

    General information concerning support services for UWO students is available at the Student Development Centre (this includes International Student Services), Graduate Student Professional Development and Graduate Students with Families.

    Information on accommodation, including residence information, can be found at UWO Housing, City of London, and School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Location & Comparative Cost of Living.

    Additional information about London is available at http://www.londontourism.ca/main.aspx


  5. Class schedule

    6. Each student is responsibility for the verification of his/her courses in the Grad Portal and then for checking the timetable on-line (Timetables & Calendars page) to determine when and where classes are being held. Students are advised to check the timetable right up until their first class as last minute changes may occur.  Please note that although there are links for information pertaining to courses, Add/Drop and timetable information in the Student Centre, that this information is not accurate and/or up-to-date for Graduate Students  (it was developed for undergraduate students).  Please use the Graduate Programs & Research web site for this information and follow directions provided to you by our office. 

    Fall term classes typically begin the first full week of September after the Labour Day holiday.  Similarly, winter term classes typically begin the first full week of January after the New Year's Day holiday, but this will be verified once the winter timetable is posted each fall. Summer term classes are divided into various sessions; please see the timetables posted on-line for more information.  Ph.D. and M.Ed. Counselling Psychology classes are typically held during day-time hours and M.Ed. Educational Studies courses are held at night to accommodate in-service teachers.  

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